


A Trainer's Tale

by Vigilant_Schemer



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bulbasaur trainer, Child Neglect, Family Angst, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mason's Pokemon love him, Mother Hen, Pokemon Battles, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon Nicknames, Pokemon Trainers, Pokemon Training, Protectiveness, Team as Family, holding more then six pokemon at a time, mason is a small bean that most be protected, poketalk translations, they would kill for him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:13:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23503651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vigilant_Schemer/pseuds/Vigilant_Schemer
Summary: We all know the story of Ash Ketchum and how he woke up late and got his trusty Pikachu, but what about the other trainers that woke up early enough to get a proper starter? Well here's the story of Mason who received Bulbasaur
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. Bulbasaur!

Mason bit his lip anxiously as he glanced away from Professor Oak to look at his sister Lindsey who was smirking smugly at Gary Oak who was just giving her an equally smug look. Today was the day they would be receiving their starters but he couldn’t but feel nervous especially as he glanced towards the door, where in the world was Ash? Today was the worst day to be late, hopefully, he wouldn’t miss out on getting a starter. 

“So who will be picking first?” Professor Oak asked as he glanced between the three teens only to sweatdrop when Gary and Lindsey started to argue, he glanced at Mason only to sigh when he saw that the boy was to busy watching the two argue with an uneasy expression on his face. 

“How about ladies first?” He suggested and Lindsey smirked smugly at Gary who grumbled under his breath, Lindsey just smirked wider as she struts forward and picks up the Pokeball with a flame sticker on it. 

“I choose Charmander” She stated smugly as she released Charmander and shared a confident smirk with her Pokemon. Gary rolled his eyes before he moved forward to grab the Pokeball with a water droplet sticker on it. 

“I choose Squirtle” He said simply as he released Squirtle, Mason smiled slightly when he saw the soft look enter Gary’s eyes as he gently pets his Squirtle’s head. He turned away from the sweet sight so that he could pick up the last Pokeball, the one with the leaf sticker on it. 

“And I choose Bulbasaur” He said softly as I released Bulbasaur before crouching down so that he could pet the little guys head. Professor Oak smiled at him before giving him a serious look. 

“Just so you know Mason, that Bulbasaur was the runt of its litter so he will need a lot of care” He said sternly but Mason just gave him a warm smile. 

“Don’t worry Professor I’ll take very good care of him” He said warmly as he picked Bulbasaur up who let out a happy little “Bulba!”. Professor Oak nodded in satisfaction before he turned around to retrieve something. 

“Of course the runt would get the runt” Lindsey said snidely with a smug smirk on her face but he just hugged Bulbasaur closer to himself and ignored his sister’s taunts. That’s when Professor Oak turned back around with three Pokedex’s and some kind of watch thing. 

“These are your Pokedex’s but before I hand them out would any of you be willing to test out this prototype version for me?” He asked as he held up the watch looking thing up. Lindsey and Gary were quick to reject the offer, neither of them wanted to waste time with something that might not work effectively. Mason gave the Professor a soft smile. 

“I’ll take it, Professor” He said and Professor Oak smiled widely. 

“Thank you, Mason, just stay back a bit and I’ll explain all of its functions to you” He said before he handed Lindsey and Gary two of the Pokedex’s as well as some extra Pokeballs. They quickly snatched them up and returned their Pokemon before they headed out the door where both of their fan clubs were waiting. Mason rolled his eyes before he returned his attention to the Professor. 

“Here you go, Mason, just hold out your arm” He instructed which Mason was quick to comply with after he placed Bulbasaur back on the ground so that he wouldn’t drop him. The Professor strapped the watch to his wrist which instantly moulded to fit his wrist perfectly. 

“So it works a lot like the normal Pokedex but with a bunch of add ons, for instance, it has a holographic feature which will show you everything about the Pokemon your scanning, it can record videos and take photos, it’s all voice automatic, you can transfer your Pokemon with it, you can make phone calls, you’ll have access to a wide verity of information about Pokemon and a bunch of other features that I’ll let you discover on your own” He explained and Mason’s eyes widened as he stared at the tiny watch on his wrist. 

“That’s amazing Professor!” He exclaimed in awe and a proud smile appeared on the Professor’s face. 

“Thank you, Mason, now why don’t you test it out on your little friend there” He said as he gestured to Bulbasaur who was staring up at him curiously, he nodded before he pointed his wrist at his curious Pokemon. 

**_Bulbasaur The Seed Pokemon -_ ** **_While It Is Young, It Uses The Nutrients That Are Stored In The Seed On Its Back In Order To Grow -_ ** **_Male - Grass/Poison - Overgrown - Growl, Tackle, Vine Whip -_ ** **_This Pokemon Has The Egg Move Petal Dance But Currently Can’t Access It - This Pokemon Is Very Small for Its Species_ **

The Pokedex finished in a robotic monotone making Mason’s eyes widen further as he started at the Holophraphic image of Bulbasaur. 

“You can change the voice setting later if you so wish, I know that the robotic voice can get very annoying after a while” Professor Oak explained and Mason simply nodded as he lowered his arm. 

“This thing is amazing Professor!” He said cheerfully and Professor Oak simply nodded with a very proud smile on his face. 

“Now since you’ll be testing out this device’s functional ability in the field I have been given permission to up your Pokemon holding limit to eight, any Pokemon you catch after that will be sent to my lab” He explained and Mason gaped at him in shock. 

“Are you serious Professor?” He asked in shock the Professor chuckled as he nodded. 

“Indeed, just remember you’ll still only be allowed to use six Pokemon during official battles” He said seriously only to grunt when Mason threw himself at him and gave him a tight hug. 

“Thank you so much, Professor, I promise I won’t let you down!” He said excitedly and Professor Oak just chuckled as he patted the boys back softly. 

“Think nothing of it, my boy, just remember to call me on occasion to let me know how it’s working as well as to fill me in on your journey” He instructed and Mason pulled away from the hug to give the Professor a wide smile. 

“Of course Professor” He said strongly and Professor Oak just chuckled softly and nodded. 

“Alright then Mason you better head of then if you want to make it to Viridian before nightfall” He said and Mason nodded in agreement before he crouched down so that he could pick Bulbasaur up who let out a happy “Bulba”. 

“I’ll call you when I get to Viridian City” He said and Professor Oak simply nodded as he handed him some extra Pokeballs.

“I’ll be expecting it” He said and Mason nodded before he headed out the door with Bulbasaur held securely in his arms. 


	2. Journey Start

Mason sweatdropped as he watched Gary and Lindsey basking in the attention of their fan clubs. 

“Bulba Bulba Saur?” Bulbasaur questioned and Mason just gave him a soft look. 

“I’m fine I just think that’s all a bit much” He said as he gestured at the large crowd. Bulbasaur turned to look at it before he nodded his tiny head. 

“Saur” He said in agreement and Mason chuckled fondly before he headed off towards the forest, he knew that no one in that crowd was there for him. He didn’t have any friends and his parents cared way more about Lindsey then they ever did about him. 

“So I was thinking that you should have a name” He finally said and Bulbasaur tilted his head up to look at him. 

“Bulba?” He questioned and Mason hummed as he gave him a soft smile. 

“Well, I figured it would give you an identity outside of your own species” He explained and Bulbasaur was quiet for a moment as he thought it over. 

“Bulba!” He finally said happily and Mason smiled widely before he tilted his head to the side in thought. 

“How about Sprout?” He asked and Bulbasaur let out a happy little “Bulba!” which made Mason’s smile grow. 

“Then it’s stelled you’ll be my little Sprout!” He said happily and Sprout made a happy cooing sound. 

They continued to walk for a little while after that with Mason mostly rambling to Sprout who did his best to contribute before they stopped by a tree to have some lunch. 

“There you go Sprout” Mason said as he poured some Pokefood into his dish, Sprout let out a happy sound before he dug into his food, Mason chuckled fondly before he took out a sandwich for himself. 

It was just as he was taking a bite of his sandwich that he noticed a Pidgey staring at him from the grass, he smiled gently at them as he reached into the bag of Pokefood and held out a piece for them. 

“Are you hungry little one?” He asked softly and the Pidgey seemed to hesitate for a moment before they hopped forward and began to nibble at the piece of food, once the piece was gone they let out a happy little caw as they nuzzled his fingers. 

Mason smiled warmly at the little Pidgey as he used his other hand to pull out an extra bowl and filled it with Pokefood before he presenting it to the Pidgey who let out a happy sound and eagerly began to eat the food. 

Sprout glanced up from his own food to watch the proceedings before he nodded in approval at Mason before he went back to back to his own food. 

Mason gently lifted up his wrist so that he could point it at the Pidgey who was to busy eating to notice. 

**_Pidgey The Tiny Bird Pokemon - Very Docile. If Attacked, It Will Often Kick Up Sand To Protect Itself Rather Than Fight Back - Female - Normal/Flying - Keen Eye - Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust_ **

Mason smiled as he looked at the holographic image of Pidgey before he glanced at Sprout and Pidgey who was still eating, he snorted in amusement as he saw how silly they both looked. He taped away at his watch before he found the camera and quickly took a picture of the two of them. Once that was done he went back to his sandwich. 

Once they had finished eating Mason began to clean everything up while Sprout and Pidgey seemed to be having a conversation with each other.

_ "He seems like a good human”  _ Pidgey said as she watched the young human clean up, Sprout smiled as he watched his trainer. 

_ “I’ve only just met him but he is definitely one of the good ones”  _ Sprout said confidently and Pidgey tilted her head slightly as she continued to observe the human, maybe he could be her trainer? 

“Alright Sprout it’s time to head out” Mason said as he bent down to pick up Sprout who let out a happy little “Bulba!” as he was picking him up the Pidgey decided to hop up onto his shoulder. He stood up and blinked at the little bird in confusion. 

“What are you doing little one?” He questioned and she flapped her wings and let out a small caw. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before they widened in understanding. 

“Do you want to come with us?” He asked and she let out a pleased caw as she nodded, he smiled brightly as he picked up one of his Pokeballs and held it out to her. She let out another caw before she pecked the Pokeball and got sucked in, the ball barely wiggled before it let out a little ding at the successful capture. He grinned before he released her from her ball so that she could ride on his shoulder. 

“Welcome to the team Pidgey” He said cheerfully and she let out a happy coo as she nuzzled his face, he chuckled before he took on a thinking pose. 

“You’ll need a name” He mused and she simply tilted her head to the side curiously, he snapped his fingers as he gave her a bright smile. 

“How about Hazel?” He asked and she blinked at him before letting out a happy chirp. 

“Hazel it is” He said happily as he reached up to rub her head to which she nipped at his fingers playfully, he chuckled fondly before he headed off back down the path. He continued to chat with his Pokemon and they did their best to respond while occasionally he would scan a Pokemon he saw but didn’t really feel like catching, the Sperow’s looked kinda aggressive. 

It was as he was carefully walking away from the Spearow that he heard a sad sounding meow, he glanced around but he couldn’t see where the meowing was coming from, he bit his lip before he turned to look at Hazel. 

“Do you think you could fly up and see where that meowing is coming from?” He asked softly and she nodded before she took off to get a look around. 

She flew up and glanced around at first she couldn’t see anything until she noticed a Meowth stuck in a tree meowing pitifully, she frowned at the sight before she flew back down and landed on Mason’s shoulder. She used her wing to point him in the right direction, he nodded before he took off in the direction she was pointing. He stopped by a tree and glanced up to see a scared-looking Meowth clinging to a branch as they meowed. 

He frowned at the sight before he placed Sprout down and had Hazel hop off of his shoulder, he then started to climb the tree so that he could reach the poor Meowth. He hopped upon what looked to be a stable branch before he turned to give the scared Meowth a gentle smile. 

“It’s okay sweetie I’m going to get you down” He said softly as he slowly reached out to them but didn’t grab them, he didn’t want to startle the already scared cat. They stared at him for a moment before they practically lept into his arms, he winced slightly as he felt their claws dig into his arms. He carefully repositioned them before climbing back down the tree, being extra careful not to drop them. 

Once he was back on the ground he sat down since it didn’t seem like the Meowth was planning on moving anytime soon. Sprout moved over so that he could lay down next to him while Hazel took up her perch on his shoulder, he grinned at them before he returned his attention to Meowth who was still shaking like a leaf. He gently ran his fingers through their fur causing a purr to escape their throat. He moved his other wrist so that he could scan them. 

**_Meowth The Scratch Cat Pokemon - It Loves To Collect Shiny Things. If It’s In A Good Mood, It Might Even Let Its Trainer Have A Look At Its Hoard Of Treasures - Female - Normal - Pick Up - Fake Out, Growl, Feint, Scratch - This Pokemon Appears To Be Serverlay Malnourished - This Pokemon Was Released By A Previous Owner_ **

Mason frowned sadly down at the Meowth who was gazing up at him tiredly, he could now see just how unhealthy thin she was. 

“You were abandoned by your old trainer weren’t you sweetheart” He said softly as he gently caressed her face, she nuzzled his hand as she let out a sad mewl. 

“Don’t you worry I’ll take care of you from now on” He said strongly as he picked up a Pokeball and tapped it to her head, she let out a happy little mewl as she was sucked up into the Pokeball. It didn’t even shake before dinging, Mason placed it onto his belt before he picked Sprout up and got back onto his feet. 

“Come on we need to get to the Pokemon centre in Viridian” He said seriously before he started running the rest of the way towards Viridian. 


	3. Surprise Encounter

Mason had successfully made it to the Pokemon Centre, though he did have a small hiccup when an Officer Jenny stopped him and accused him of being a Pokemon thief so he had just shown her his trainer’s licence and she had let him go. Now he was just waiting for Nurse Joy to inform him how Meowth was doing. 

“I suppose I should call Professor Oak while I wait, huh?” He asked Sprout who nodded his little head. He brought his wrist closer so that he could find the call button, after some searching, he managed to find it and now he was just waiting for the Professor to pick up. 

“Hello, Professor!” He called out when a holographic image of Professor Oak appeared. The Professor smiled widely as he saw Mason. 

“Hello, Mason I see you’ve made it Viridian alright” He remarked and Mason nodded though he did have a slight frown on his face. 

“Is something wrong Mason?” Professor Oak asked worriedly and Mason let out a soft sigh as he shook his head. 

“Things could be better” He remarked and a deep frown appeared on the Professor’s face. 

“Tell me what happened” He stated and Mason nodded before he told the Professor all about finding the Meowth and how he found out she had been abandoned and that she was severely malnourished and that he wasn’t sure if Nurse Joy would be able to help her. 

“It’s a terrible thing when a trainer chooses to abandon their Pokemon but you should have faith in Nurse Joy, my boy I’m sure she’ll be able to help Meowth to the best of her abilities” Professor Oak said reassuringly and Mason sighed and nodded in agreement, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to worry. 

“Mason Avalon please report to the front desk, Mason Avalon please report to the front desk” A robotic voice announced through the speakers, Mason glanced up at the speakers briefly before he gave the Professor an apologetic look. 

“Sorry Professor Oak I’ve got to go” He said and the Professor simply nodded in understanding. 

“It’s alright Mason, just call me when you get the chance” He said and Mason nodded before saying goodbye and hanging up so that he could make his way to the front desk where Nurse Joy was waiting, and in her arms was Meowth looking better but still very thin. 

“Is she going to be okay Nurse Joy?” He asked worriedly and Nurse Joy gave him a soft smile as she handed him Meowth who curled up into his arms happily. 

“She’ll need a lot of help to get back to a healthy weight but other than that she’s just fine” She said reassuringly, Mason sighed in relief as he smiled down at the now sleeping Meowth. 

“Here make sure she takes some of this before every meal, it will help increase her appetite” She said as she handed over some medicine and quickly placed it into his bag. 

“When you run out just go to any Nurse Joy and she’ll be able to resupply you with some until Meowth is back to a healthy weight” She explained and he just nodded in understanding, she gave him a soft smile before it turned into a slight frown. 

“Now normally I’d offer you a room for the night but we are currently doing renovations on the rooms so you’ll have to find some other arrangments” She said apologetically but he just gave her a warm smile. 

“It’s alright Nurse Joy, I’m sure I can find a hotel or something” He said reassuringly and she nodded in relief. 

“Well I wish you luck on your journey” She said and he gave her a bright smile.

“Thank you Nurse Joy” He said as he turned to leave though he did glance down at Sprout who was walking beside him. 

“Are you okay with walking Sprout?” He asked and Sprout juts glanced up at hi with a smile as he nodded. 

“Bulba Saur” He said reassuringly to which Mason smiled as he headed out of the Pokemon Centre, though as he was walking away he just barely managed to dive out of the way of Officer Jenny speeding by on her motorcycle. Hazel let out an irritated caw at the women so Mason reached up and gently ran his fingers through her feathers. 

“That was a bit dangerous” He remarked as he continued to walk away from the Pokemon Centre. 

“Officer Jenny has always been a bit of a speed demon” A voice remarked from behind him and when he turned around he saw a tall man with slicked-back brown hair and a very bright orange suit, he was side-eyeing the Pokemon Centre in distaste. 

“She does that a lot?” Mason asked worriedly and the man simply nodded as he turned to face him only to frown as he stared at Meowth. 

“Your Meowth doesn’t seem to be doing so well” He commented in a slightly judgemental tone of voice and Mason sighed sadly as he glanced down at Meowth. 

“I found her abandoned on Route 1 so Nurse Joy has given me some medicine to help her recover” He said softly and the man nodded slightly in what looked like approval before he reached his hand out. 

“May I?” He asked and Mason simply nodded so the man reached out and gently ran his fingers through Meowth fur causing a happy purr to escape her. 

“Meowth’s and especially Persian are extremely loyal Pokemon, if you take good care of her she’ll be a very trusted ally to have” He remarked as he pulled his hand away and Mason simply grinned softly down at Meowth before he glanced up at the man again. 

“Do you have a Persian?” He asked and the man simply nodded. 

“Yes, you could even say he was my starter” He said and Mason gave him another bright smile, he went to say something else when a beeping sound came from the man’s pocket. He pulled out his phone and glared down at it in annoyance before he let out a long-suffering sigh. 

“It was nice meeting you young man, but I must be off” He said and Mason nodded in understanding before he gave him an apologetic look. 

“It was nice meeting you as well and I’m sorry for holding you up” He apologised but the man simply waved his hand dismissively. 

“It was no trouble” He said simply before he turned on his heel and began to walk away with his phone at his ear. Mason smiled happily to himself as he glanced down at Sprout. 

“Come on let go find a hotel” He said and both Sprout and Hazel made sounds of agreement, he chuckled before he headed off in search when he suddenly realized something. 

“I never got his name” He said in surprise before groaning which caused Sprout and Hazel to laugh at him. 

* * *

Giovanni glanced behind himself at the young trainer who was chatting with the Bulbasaur at his feet and the Pidgey on his shoulder before his eyes once again landed on the Meowth in his arms. It seemed like history was repeating itself as he thought about how he had met his own Persian when it had been abandoned on Route 1 as a Meowth. That young trainer might be one to watch, he mused to himself before he refocused on what his admin was telling him. 

“Those three idiots have been doing what?” He grumbled in annoyance as he headed back to his gym, honestly, if he wasn’t so amused by those three he definitely would have fired them by now. 


	4. Worry

Mason yawned sleepily as he plopped down onto his bed, Sprout hopped up so that he could curl up next to him while Hazel flew off of his shoulder so that she could perch herself on the headboard. He smiled down at Meowth who just blinked up at him curiously. 

“I think now’s a good time to come up with a name for you” He remarked, Meowth tilted her head to the side in confusion while he hummed in thought before he gave her an even brighter grin. 

“How about Bastet?” He asked and she just gave him an even more confused look which made him chuckle softly. 

“Bastet is the name of an ancient goddess of cats” He explained and she instantly puffed out her chest proudly at this. 

“Meow” She said approvingly making Mason chuckle fondle as he scratched her behind her ear. 

“I’m glad you like it” He said fondly and she just nodded before curling back up on his lap and going back to sleep. Mason chuckled once more as he glanced down at Sprout. 

“She’s certainly a cuddler” He said warmly and Sprout laughed in agreement. Mason went to make another comment on it when there was suddenly a loud explosion and the building shook violently. Mason instantly tensed up and wrapped his arms around Bastet and Sprout as Hazel flew back onto his shoulder as they waited for the shaking to stop. 

“What was that?” He questioned worriedly as he carefully stood up and approached his door so that he could peek his head out, he glanced down the hall and saw that serval other people were also peeking out of their rooms. 

“Where do you think that explosion came from? It sounded close” The man from across him asked worriedly and Mason simply shrugged helplessly as he hugged Sprout and Bastet even closer to his chest, the man across from him frowned before he turned slightly to calm someone behind him down when suddenly an announcement came from the hotel’s speakers. 

**“Everyone please remain calm, there has been an attack on the nearby Pokemon Centre. Until the situation has been dealt with we advise everyone to stay in your rooms until the all-clear is given”**

Mason tensed up fearfully before he quickly ducked back into his room not noticing the worried look the man across from him had given him. He quickly placed Sprout and Bastet down on the bed and then picked up the tv remote so that he could put the news on. His heart immediately stopped as he saw the destroyed looking Pokemon Centre, he fell back onto his bed and Sprout and Bastet were quick to crawl into his lap while Hazel nuzzled his face. 

“I hope Nurse Joy is okay” He mumbled and his Pokemon all made sounds of agreement as they all continued to watch the news broadcast. 

He didn’t fall asleep until he got confirmation that Nurse Joy, as well as the two trainers who had been at the centre at the time, were fine, he passed out right after and all of his Pokemon protectively surrounded him just in case. 

* * *

Mason slowly blinked his eyes open when he kept hearing a persistent buzzing sound, he glanced around sleepily before he realized the buzzing was coming from his watch. He blinked at it lazily for a minute before he hit the answer button and a worried-looking Professor Oak appeared over his wrist. 

“Oh thank heavens your alright Mason, when I couldn’t get a hold of you I feared the worse” He exclaimed in relief as he slumped in his seat, Mason blinked at the man in confusion. 

“What do you mean Professor?” He asked tiredly as he let out a yawn while checking the time only to see that it was 6 am. The Professor just sighed and gave him a relieved look. 

“I heard about what happened to the Pokemon Centre in Viridian, I knew that Gary and Lindsey had already left and Ash called me not too long afterwards to let me know he was fine but when I couldn’t get in contact with you I feard that you had gotten hurt” He explained and Mason’s eyes widened in understanding. 

“They were doing renovations on the rooms at the centre so I got a hotel room for the night” He said and Professor Oak nodded in understanding. 

“I’m glad, and I’m sorry for waking you up so early” He said sheepishly but Mason was quick to wave it off. 

“It’s fine Professor you were just worried” He said simply and the Professor gave him a soft smile before glancing at something off to the side. 

“Well, I’ll let you go so that you can get some more sleep a trainer needs lots of rest to perform at their best” He said and Mason nodded sleepily in agreement

“Alright Professor I’ll talk to you soon, good night” He yawned and the Professor nodded before hanging up. Mason let out another yawn as he glanced down at his Pokemon only to smile fondly when he saw that they were all curled around him protectively. He let out another yawn before he laid back down to hopefully get some more sleep. 


	5. A friendly "Hat"

After getting an extra two hours of sleep Mason made his way towards Viridian forest, though he did make a quick stop at the Pokemart to pick up some extra supplies before heading out. 

“So we just have to go through Viridian Forest to make it to Pewter City where out firsts gym battle will be” Mason explained to his Pokemon as they walked. 

“The first gym is Rock Type so Sprout you’ll be my heavy hitter and Hazel I’ll be teaching you how to use Steel Wing so that you can battle as well” He continued to explain which made Sprout and Hazel puff out in pride while Bastet let out a confused mewl. 

“Sorry sweetheart but you won’t be doing any battling until your back to full health” He said softly and she huffed unhappily. Before he could begin to comfort her he felt something land on his head, he glanced up and met the eyes of a Caterpir who blinked at him cutely. 

“Why hello there, what are you doing on my head?” He questioned and the Caterpir just blinked some more at him before curling up and going to sleep on his head. 

“Well alright then” He finally said baffled and glanced down at his other Pokemon who seemed just as confused as him, though Hazel did appear to have a bit of a hungry look in her eyes. 

“No” He said sternly and she pouted unhappily. With that settled and the Caterpie not moving anytime soon, they continued on walking through the forest. 

* * *

“Okay we’ll stop here for lunch and to do some training” Mason announced as they came to a small clearing with a creek. 

He started taking the bowls and Pokefood out of his bag so that they could all eat, he glanced up at the Caterpie who was still curled upon his head. 

“Would you like something to eat?” He asked but the Caterpie just continued to snooze, he shrugged and left a bowl of food off to the side for later. He then lifted his wrist so that he could scan his new “hat”. 

**_Caterpie The Worm Pokemon - Its Short Feet Are Tipped With Suction Pads That Enable It To Tirelessly Climb Slopes And Walls - Female - Bug - Shield Dust - String Shot, Tackle_ **

Mason nodded thoughtfully at the entry as he absentmindedly reached up and gently pet the snoozing Caterpie, who let out a happy little trill. He then pulled out some food for himself and began eating, he failed to notice the none human eyes watching him from the forest. 

* * *

Caterpie yawned sleepily as she slowly blinked her eyes open and glanced around, it seems like the human whose head she was resting on was no longer sitting down. The human’s Meowth was resting on a blanket and looking very unhappy about it while his Bulbasaur and Pidgey seemed to be training with their trainer giving them instructions. 

“Good morning sleepy head” The human chuckled as he reached up and pet her head, which felt really nice. 

“Would you like to have some food now?” He asked and she nodded happily, he walked over to where his Meowth was and gently picked her up off of his head and placed her down next to the Meowth before placing a bowl of food in front of her. 

“Here you go, I’ll just be over there if you want some more” He said softly as he once again pet her head before doing the same to his Meowth. He then got back up and headed back over to his Bulbasaur and Pidgey. 

“You're doing great you two!” He called out which made the two puff their chests out proudly. 

_ “Is he a good human?”  _ Caterpie asked as she turned to look at the Meowth who was watching the kind human boy. 

_ “He is”  _ She replied and Caterpie hummed as she glanced back at the human. 

_ “Why aren’t you training with them?”  _ She asked and Bastet huffed unhappily. 

_ “I’m not healthy enough”  _ She muttered unhappily, Caterpie turned to face her and noticed that she was indeed very thin. 

_ “What happened?”  _ She asked softly and Bastet let out a soft sad sigh as she side-eyed her. 

_ “I was abandoned by my first trainer because I wasn’t good enough for her”  _ She revealed bitterly and Caterpie’s eyes widened sadly.

_ “ I owe Mason everything, he took me in and even gave me a name”  _ Bastet remarked softly as she gazed fondly at her trainer who was doing some kind of weird arm movements to try and help Hazel learn some kind of move. Caterpie turned to look at the human in awe. 

_ “Do you think he’ll be my trainer?”  _ She asked and Bastet simply nodded. 

_ "With out a doubt” _ She remarked and Caterpie instantly perked up happily. 

_ “You shouldn’t let that go to waste”  _ Bastet suddenly remarked offhandedly and Caterpie blinked in confusion before glancing down at the untouched bowl of food in front of her. 

_ “Right”  _ She said before she quickly began eating the very tasty food. 


	6. Samurai

Mason glanced behind himself and nodded happily as he saw the Caterpie was now eating her food before refocusing on Hazel who seemed very frustrated that she couldn’t get Steel Wing right. He crouched down and gently ran his fingers through her feathers. 

“Don’t worry sweetie your making great progress” He said reassuringly which instantly made her perk up happily. He turned to look at Sprout who was practising Vine Whip to increase its strength, he watched as he cracked a rock in half. 

“Well done Sprout!” He called out and Sprout let out a happy little “Bulba!” at the praise. 

“Excuse me are you a trainer from the town of Pallet?” A voice from behind him asked which startled Mason and caused him to spin around to face the voice, only to see a guy dressed up like a samurai standing behind him. 

“Yeah I’m from Pallet, how can I help you?” He asked only to tense up fearfully when the guy suddenly pulled out a sword and pointed it right at him before he could even react Sprout quickly wrapped the guy up in his Vine Whip and Hazel puffed out her feathers threateningly while Bastet and Caterpie quickly rushed to his side. 

“Why the heck are you threatening me with a sword! If your trying to steal my Pokemon then you’ve got another thing coming!” Mason finally snapped as he glared at the struggling samurai wannabe who gave him a nasty glare. 

“I am no thief!” He snapped back and Mason just narrowed his eyes untrusting. 

“Then why did you point a freaking sword at me!” He exclaimed loudly as he gestured to the sword that he had dropped when Sprout wrapped him up. 

“I am Samurai! I am also shrewd, fearless and completely invincible in combat. I have been searching the forest for you” He announced and Mason sweatdropped as he gestured for Sprout to release the guy. 

“Why have you been looking for me?” He asked tiredly as he rubbed at his head, this guy was giving him a headache. 

“I have already battled two trainers from Pallet, and while I, unfortunately, lost they informed me that two more trainers would be coming through. Their strength was so incredible that I wish to battle all the trainers from Pallet” He stated and Mason raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh, so you just want a Pokemon battle?” He asked and Samurai nodded. 

“Okay sure” He said simply and Samurai perked up happily before he released a Pinsir, it actually looked pretty tough. He lifted his wrist up so that he could scan it. 

**_Pinsir The Stag Beetle Pokemon - Grips Its Prey In Its Pincers And Squeezes Hard! It Can’t Move If It’s Cold, So It Lives In Warm Places - Male - Bug - This Pokemon Is Owned By Trainer Samurai_ **

“Guess it won’t tell me the ability and moves of a Pokemon owned by a trainer” He mused thoughtfully before he turned to look at Hazel, not noticing the perplexed expression Samurai was giving his watch. 

“Think you can handle this guy?” He asked and she instantly perked up and nodded before flying up and getting into a battle position. 

“You ready?” He asked and Samurai nodded. 

“Let's begin” He stated and Mason nodded back. 

“Hazel use Gust” He ordered and Hazel flapped her wings and sent a Gust straight at Pinsir who dug his heels into the ground and took it head-on. 

“Pinsir Vice Grip” Samurai ordered. 

“Dodge it and then go for a Tackle!” Mason ordered, Hazel just barely managed to avoid the Vice Grip and spun around Pinsir to strick him in the back with a Tackle which made him stumble forward. 

“Vice Grip again!” Samurai ordered, Pinsir spun around but Hazel had already flown out of the way. 

“Hazel use Gust, then go for another Tackle!” Mason ordered, Hazel sent another Gust at Pinsir making him stumble back once again before she zoomed in and struck him in the chest with Tackle. 

“Quickly Pinsir use Vice Grip!” Samurai ordered. Mason’s eyes widened worriedly as Pinsir closed in on Hazel before she could move. 

“Use Steel Wing!” He shouted frantically and Hazel nodded determinedly and she used all of her strength to make her wing take on a silvery sheen before sticking Pinsir right in the face before he could grab her. Pinsir went flying back and struck a tree before swirls appeared in his eyes. 

Mason’s eyes widened in surprise before he let out an excited cheer as he jumped up and down excitedly. 

“Hazel you did it! You used Steel Wing!” He cheered and Hazel cawed happily as she flew into his arms and he hugged tightly. 

Samurai recalled Pinsir and glanced back at the other trainer who was bouncing excitedly with his Pidgey, he smiled slightly at the sight before he shook his head to refocus on the battle at hand. 

“You may have beat my Pinsir but you won’t defeat this one so easily” He stated as he held up Metapod’s Pokeball. Mason hummed before he glanced down at Sprout. 

“Ready to battle Sprout?” He asked and Sprout let out a happy “ Bulba” before he rushed forward and got into a battle stance. Samurai nodded before releasing his Metapod. 

Mason quickly lifted up his wrist so that he could scan Metapod before the battle began. 

**_Metapod The Cocoon Pokemon -_ ** **_Even Though It Is Encased In A Sturdy Shell, The Body Inside Is Tender. It Can’t Withstand A Harsh Attack - Male - Bug -_ ** **_This Pokemon Is Owned By Trainer Samurai_ **

Mason nodded thoughtfully before he refocused on the battle. 

“Sprout use Tackle” Mason ordered, Sprout nodded before rushing forward. 

“Use Harden!” Samurai ordered, Metapod quickly hardened just as Sprout Tackled him. Mason groaned as he realized that Samurai was just going to keep using Harden, but that’s when he got an idea. 

“Sprout wrap Metapod up with your Vine Whip and slam him into the ground!” He ordered, Sprout was quick to wrap up Metapod in his Vine Whip and then before he could use Harden again he slammed him into the ground. Which was too much for him because he quickly fainted. 

“Way to go Sprout!” Mason cheered as he crouched down so that Sprout could rush into his arms while Hazel moved to his shoulder. Sprout let out his own cheer as he rushed into Mason’s arms, almost barreling him over in the process. 

Samurai sighed as he returned his Metapod and looked at the happy trainer in front of him. 

“That was an excellent battle” He stated and Mason gave him a bright grin. 

“It was, you did great” He said sweetly and Samurai blushed slightly, this kid was so pure. He cleared his throat and shook his head to clear it. 

“I wish you luck on your journey” He stated before turning on his heel and heading back into the forest. Mason blinked in confusion at the sudden departure before he grinned at Sprout and Hazel. 

“You guys did awesome, I’m so proud of you” He said earnestly, the two of them cheered before cuddling closer to him. Bastet pouted and pawed at his hand demanding attention, he chuckled fondly and scratched her behind her ear. 

“Don’t worry Bastet, once your back to full health you’ll be able to participate in battle as well” He promised and she sighed before nodding as she snuggled closer to him. He smiled down at her before he glanced up at Caterpie who was staring at him with big eyes. 

“Would you like some cuddles as well?” He asked and she trilled happily before climbing up his arm so that she could rest on his head. He just chuckled happily as he held them all close, once again not noticing the none human eyes that continued to watch him. 


	7. Surprise In The Night

After their impromptu cuddle session, Mason began packing up so that they could continue making their way to Pewter City. As he finished putting everything away he reached up to gently pet Caterpie who was still sitting on his bed. 

“So either my head is very comfortable or you want to come with me, which one is it?” He asked playfully and she trilled before using her tail to point at his Pokeballs. He chuckled happily as he picked one up and held it out for her to tap, which she happily did and with barely a shake it dinged. Once that was done he released her so that she could continue to ride on his head. He then crouched down to pick up Bastet while Hazel perched herself on his shoulder and Sprout came to his side. 

“Everyone ready?” He asked and they all made sounds of agreement so he headed off further into the woods. 

“So you’ll need a name” He remarked as he glanced up at Caterpie who tilted her head to the side curiously, he hummed thoughtfully before he gave her a bright grin. 

“How about Iris?” He asked and she blinked at him for a moment before trilling happily which made his grin grow. 

“Welcome to the team Iris” He said happily and the others all made sounds of agreement which made her blush slightly in happiness. As they all continued to walk through the forest none of them noticed the none human eyes that were following them.

* * *

It was much later in the day when they finally stopped for the night, the others were all by the fire he had built while he was filling a pot with water when the sound of splashing caught his attention. He glanced up and saw a Magikarp eagerly swimming towards. 

“Karp Karp Magikarp!” They said excitedly as they stopped in front of him, he smiled softly as he reached out and gently ran his fingers along their scales which made them let out a happy little “Karp!” as they nuzzled his hand. 

“Well aren’t you an affectionate one” He chuckled fondly as he continued to pet them. While doing that he lifted his wrist up and pointed it at the little Magikarp so that he could scan them. 

**_Magikarp The Fish Pokemon -_ ** **_Thanks To Their Strong Hold On Life, Dirty Water Doesn’t Bother Them At All. They live In Waters All Over The World! - Female - Water - Swift Swim - Splash_ **

Mason hummed thoughtfully as he gazed down at the very affectionate Magikarp. 

“Would you like to join me?” He asked softly and she looked so surprised before she let out a happy “Karp!” and jumped out of the creek and int his arms. He chuckled fondly as she snuggled into his arms. 

“I’ll take that as a yes” He said fondly as he picked up a Pokeball and tapped her with it, it didn’t even shake before dinging. He quickly released her back into the water and she stared up at him curiously. 

“You need a name” He said and she swam around in circle excitedly at the idea of getting a name. 

“How about Marine?” He asked and she let out a very happy sounding “Karp!” making him smile brightly as he reached down and ran his fingers over her scales. 

“I’m glad you like it” He said fondly before he picked his pot back up and stood up.

“Would you like to spend the night in the creek or in your Pokeball?” He asked and she blinked at him before swimming down into the water. 

“Creek it is” He said fondly before he returned to their little camp sight so he could start making dinner. 

“Bulba?” Sprout questioned as he returned and he just gave him a bright grin. 

“We have a new friend joining us, but she has to stay in the creek” He explained and he nodded in understanding. 

* * *

Mason scrunched his eyes in confusion before he slowly opened them open, something was pulling at his shirt sleeve. His eyes snapped open in shock as he stared at the Ekans that was staring at him intently, he sat up and the Ekans hissed in displeasure before they slowly coiled themself around him so that they could look him right in the eye. He glanced around only to see that all of his Pokemon were sleeping, Ekans let out an annoyed hiss so he looked back at them. 

“Hi, there” He said nervously as the Ekans continued to just stare at him. It seemed like forever before Ekans finally seemed satisfied and they uncoiled themselves and instead rested in his lap, he hesitated before he reached out to pet their head which made them let out a happy little hiss in pleasure. 

“Did you just want my attention?” He asked and they nodded as he continued to rub their head, he smiled softly at the happy little snake as he lifted his wrist to scan them. 

**_Ekans The Snake Pokemon - The Older It Gets, The Longer It Grows. At Night, It Wraps Its Long Body Around Tree Branches To Rest - Female - Poison- Intimidate - Poison Sting, Wrap, Leer, Acid_ **

He glanced away from the holographic image to look at Ekans who was nuzzling his hand, he smiled softly and continued to pet her. Eventually he slowly slipped back asleep, Ekans helped him lie back down before she stared at him thoughtfully. 

_ "Your a good human, I’m keeping you”  _ She decided before curling up and going to sleep on the nice human's chest, this was her human now and she wasn’t going to let anyone ever hurt him. 

* * *

Sprout stretched sleepily as he slowly blinked his eyes opened and glanced around the camp only to tense up as he saw an Ekans sleeping o his trainers chest. 

_ “Hey! What do you think you're doing?!”  _ He shouted angrily which woke everyone but Mason up. When everyone saw the Ekans they all got into battle position while Ekans just blinked at them lazily. 

_ “I was sleeping”  _ She stated tiredly only to be growled at by the other Pokemon. 

_ “What were you doing on Mason’s chest?”  _ Bastet hissed threatening, Ekans just blinked at her before turning to look down at Mason. 

_ "I’ve chosen him to be my trainer”  _ She stated and the others hesitated and glanced at each other. 

_ “You… chose him?”  _ Hazel questioned as she tilted her head to the side, Ekans nodded and once again turned to face them. 

_ “Yes, ever since you all entered the forest I’ve been observing him seeing if he was worth becoming my trainer and I have come to the conclusion that no human would be better then him”  _ She stated and slowly they all untensed as they realized that Ekans was not going to hurt their friend. 

_ “I approached him last night just to be sure and while I did scare him a bit he just gave me kind words and good heads rubs”  _ She said happily and the others all smiled slightly as she was right Mason gave the best head rubs. They all glanced at Mason as he let out a sleepy yawn and slowly blinked his eyes open, he gave them all a sleepy smile before he glanced at Ekans. 

“Good morning Ekans, do you mind getting off of my chest so that I can sit up?” He asked and she nodded her head before slithering off of him. He sat up and stretched his arms out before he smiled at them all. 

“Morning everyone” He said happily and they eagerly greeted him, with a very excited greeting coming from the creek making him chuckle happily. He then turned his attention to Ekans who was staring at him intently, he just nodded and held up a Pokeball. She let out a happy little hiss before poking the Pokeball, it barely even shook before dinging. And then without giving Mason the chance, she released herself from the Pokeball. 

“Now let's think of a name for you” He hummed and she seemed to be bouncing excitedly at the idea. 

“How about Naga?” He asked and she tilted her head to the side in confusion. 

“There are stories about beautiful women who were part snake and they were know as nagas” He explained and she let out a very pleased hiss at this making him chuckle fondly. 

“I take it you like it?” He asked and she just nodded happily. 

“I’m glad” He said as he reached over and gently ran his fingers along her scales, she hissed happily at this as she practically melted into his hand. 


	8. A Pleasant Chat

After a quick breakfast and a little more training, they were back on the road. Mason smiled slightly as he glanced around at all of his Pokemon, Sprout was walking by his side, Bastet was in his arms, Iris was on his head, Hazel was perched on his shoulder and Naga was wrapped around his waist like a belt. The only one in their Pokeball was Marine. 

“Look there’s Pewter City!” He announced cheerfully as they exited the forest and Pewter City came into view. 

“We’ll make a quick stop at the Pokemon Centre before heading to the gym, okay?” He asked and everyone made sounds of agreement so he headed down the path, glancing only briefly at the man sitting on the side of the path selling rocks before focusing on reaching the Pokemon Centre which thankfully wasn’t that hard to find. After he gave Nurse Joy his Pokemon he took a seat on one of the benches and dialled Professor Oak’s number. 

“Hello, Professor” He greeted and the Professor smiled warmly in greeting, though Mason couldn’t help but notice how rumbled the Professor looked. 

“Are you okay Professor?” He asked worriedly and Professor Oak just chuckled as he waved his hand dismissively. 

“I’m just fine my boy, your sister just caught a Spearow recently and it’s quite the rebellious Pokemon” He said simply and Mason couldn’t help but chuckle as he imagined a tiny Spearow wreaking havoc in the Professor’s lab. 

“So I see you’ve made it to Pewter alright” Professor Oak remarked and Mason hummed as he nodded. 

“Yup, though the journey through Viridian Forest was quite interesting” He replied simply and the Professor raised a curious eyebrow. 

“Oh?” He questioned and Mason explained about how he caught his three new Pokemon and his encounter with Samurai. Professor Oak chuckled in amusement as he listened to Mason’s tale. 

“Gary and Lindsey mentioned encountering Samurai as well, he definitely seems like an energetic fellow” He remarked cheerfully and Mason gave him a deadpanned look. 

“Energetic? Professor, he pointed a sword at me! I thought I was going to have a heart attacked!” He explained a little too loudly earning him a few curious glances from the other trainers in the centre. Professor Oak sweatdropped as he nodded slightly in agreement. 

“Yes I admit that does seem very dangerous, but at least your Pokemon were so quick to come to your defence” He remarked and Mason couldn’t help but to smile warmly as he thought about how protective his Pokemon were of him. 

“That’s true” He said happily and Professor Oak smiled at his enthusiasm. 

“So how is your Pokedex working?” He asked curiously and Mason hummed as he glanced at his wrist thoughtfully. 

“It really is amazing Professor, the phone feature clearly works really well and so does the scanning feature. Oh and I was able to use it to help teach Hazel Steel Wing!” He said cheerfully and Professor Oak nodded thoughtfully before raising a curious eyebrow at him. 

“Hazel?” He questioned and Mason instantly flushed in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“My Pidgey” He said sheepishly and Professor Oak nodded in understanding. 

“Steel Wing will definitely aid you in your battle against Brock, but remember to not rely so heavily on type advantages” He said sternly and Mason just smiled brightly as he nodded. 

“I won’t Profesor, I know better than that” He said brightly, Professor Oak smiled as he nodded in approval. 

“Mason Avalon please report to the front desk, Mason Avalon please report to the front desk” A robotic voice announced through the speakers. Mason glanced towards the front desk where Nurse Joy was standing before returning his attention to the Professor. 

“Sorry Professor but I got to go” He said and Professor Oak simply nodded as he gave him a soft smile. 

“That’s okay my boy, good luck in your battle” He remarked and Mason grinned brightly. 

“Thanks, Professor Oak, talk to you soon” He said and the Professor nodded before they both hung up and he made his way towards the front desk where Nurse Joy was waiting. 

“Here you go dear” She said cheerfully as she handed him his six Pokeballs. 

“Thank you Nurse Joy” He said kindly as he reached out to grab them before placing them on his belt. Though as he did this Sprout released himself and smiled up at him cheerfully. 

“Bulba!” He announced cheerfully earning a fond chuckle from Mason as he crouched down to pick him up. 

“Come on Sprout we have a gym battle to win” He exclaimed excitedly and Sprout cheered as they walked out of the Pokemon Centre. He glanced down at his other Pokeballs before deciding that he would let them rest in their Pokeballs until they were back on the road, he had gotten a lot of weird looks when he had walked into town earlier practically draped in Pokemon.


	9. Think Outside of The Box to Win a Badge

Mason took in a deep breath as he stared up at the Gym, the sign was a little weird looking up that didn’t make it any less intimidating. 

“Alright Sprout let's do this” He said as he pushed open the gym doors. 

“Bulba” Sprout said in a determined tone of voice and Mason grinned slightly only for it to vanish as he gazed around the Gym and saw how dark it was. 

“Hello? Is anybody there?” He called out and when he didn’t get a response he glanced down at Sprout with a worried look on his face. 

“They wouldn’t just leave the door unlocked if no one was here right?” He questioned worriedly, Sprout made a soft sound of agreement as he also gazed around the gym trying to see if he could see anything that his trainer couldn’t. Suddenly the lights turned on which startled the two of them. 

“Are you here for a Gym Battle?” A voice questioned, Mason turned around to face the person and saw Brock the Gym Leader standing on the other side of the field. 

“Yes, I’m Mason Avalon and I’ve come to earn the Boulder Badge” Mason stated confidently and Brock simply nodded as he gestured for him to step closer to the field which he did eagerly.

“Is this your first Gym Battle?” Brock questioned as he stared at the shorter boy who nodded. 

“You should know that Gym Battles are different than normal battles, there are certain rules you need to follow” He said sternly and Mason simply nodded. 

“I am aware” He said simply and Brock raised a slightly surprised eyebrow before shrugging and stepping forward, most new trainers didn’t bother looking into the rules and just rushed into the Gym Battles all willy nilly. 

He snapped his fingers and the arena began rolling in, a faint smirk appearing on his face as he watched Mason’s eyes widen as he ran backwards to avoid being crushed. The arena was built to stop if something was in the way but he found it hilarious watching trainers try to avoid it. 

“We will both use only two Pokemon and the battle will end when one of us run out of Pokemon” He explained just to make sure that the kid understood. Mason hummed in understanding as a bright excited grin appeared on his face. 

“Go Geodude!” Brock called out as he released his Pokemon. Mason hummed once more before placing Sprout down and lifting his wrist so that he could use his Pokedex. 

**_Geodude The Rock Pokemon - Geodude that have lived a lon_ ** **_g life have had all their edges smoothed out until they’re totally round. They also have_ ** **_a calm, quiet disposition - Male - Rock/Ground - This Pokemon Is Owned By Gym Leader Brock_ **

“Alright then” Mason mumbled thoughtfully before he reached down and grabbed one of his Pokeballs. 

“Hazel I choose you” He called out and Brock mentally rolled his eyes when he saw the Pidgey that came out of the Pokeball, this really was just another newbie trainer who didn’t know what they were doing. 

“Pidgey’s are flying types, you’ll never stand a chance” Brock huffed unimpressed which just earned him a slight scowl from Mason. 

“Hazel use Tackle” Mason ordered. 

“Geodude Defence Curl” Brock ordered not noticing the faint smirk on Mason’s face. 

“Hazel switch to Gust and blow Geodude up into the air” Mason ordered and Brock gasped softly as Hazel sent a strong enough Gust to lift Geodude off the ground. 

“Now slam him back into the ground with a Steel Wing” Mason quickly order and Brock had just enough time to order a Defence Curl before Geodude went slamming into the ground. He was slightly wobbly but he did manage to pull himself back up. 

“It was clever of you to teach your Pidgey Steel Wing, but it will not help you win this battle” Brock remarked slightly impressed, he had greatly underestimated this trainer but he would not make that mistake again. 

“Geodude use Rock Throw” He ordered and Mason bit his lip worriedly as Geodude began picking up large-sized rocks.

“Hazel, fly up high and dodge the rocks” Mason shouted, Hazel nodded slightly as she complied sending small Gusts occasionally to push some of the rocks out of the way which gave Mason an idea. 

“Geodude keep using Rock Throw” Brock ordered, that Pidgey couldn’t keep dodging forever. 

“Hazel use Gust to slam the rocks back into Geodude” Mason ordered almost giddily as a shocked gasp escaped from Brock when Geodude’s attack was thrown right back at him. 

“Now quickly dive down and use Steel Wing” Mason quickly ordered. Hazel grinned as she dove down and smacked the Geodude in the face with her hardened wing sending him flying across the arena and into the wall, leaving him knocked out. 

“Geodude return” Brock said as he returned Geodude to his Pokeball, he glanced towards the trainer who was jumping around excitedly as he hugged his Pidgey. 

“You may have defeated my Geodude but you won’t fare as well against this Pokemon” He said as he released Onix who let out a mighty roar. Mason took a small step back in surprise before he steeled his nerves and scanned Onix with his Pokedex. 

**_Onix The Rock Snake Pokemon - As it digs through the ground, it absorbs many hard objects. This is what makes its body so solid - Male - Rock/Ground - This Pokemon Is Owned By Gym Leader Brock_ **

Mason hummed thoughtfully before glancing at Hazel. 

“Do you mind if Sprout takes over?” He asked and she simply perched herself on his shoulder and began grooming herself, he grinned before glancing down at Sprout. 

“You ready bud?” He asked and Sprout nodded excitedly. 

“Bulba!” He said passionately as he stepped into the arena. Onix stared down at the little thing with a disinterested look on his face which made Sprout puff out his chest to seem bigger to try and intimidate Onix which didn’t really work. 

“Onix use Dig” Brock order and Onix was quick to burrow itself into the ground, Mason bit his lip anxiously as he gazed across the field trying to see where Onix was going to emerge before he glanced up at the ceiling to see if there was any way Sprout could use his vines to get out of reach. That is when he noticed something that gave him an idea, there was a sprinkler system above the arena. 

“Sprout use your vines to pull yourself up to the ceiling” He ordered and Sprout nodded as he used his to pull himself up toward the ceiling just in time to avoid Onix just as he burst out of the ground. 

“Sprout hang onto the pipes and use Razor Leaf” He ordered and Sprout tightened his grip before launching an onslaught of leaves at Onix who roared in pain. 

“Onix use Rock Throw” Brock ordered and Onix used his tail to scope up rocks and launch them up at Sprout. 

“Sprout swing across the pipes to avoid the rocks” Mason ordered and Sprout swung away using his vines. Mason grinned as he watched the rocks start denting the pipes, some of the rocks even fell back down and hit Onix. 

“Onix knock Bulbasaur down” Brock ordered as he focused on the Bulbasaur as it continued to swing around, he was so focused on what the Bulbasaur was doing he didn’t notice the huge dents in his sprinkler system. 

“Sprout use Leech Seed as you continue to swing” Mason ordered and Sprout launched out a seed as he narrowly avoided being hit by a rock, Onix roared in pain as the Leech Seed hit which was the exact same time that the pipes finally burst as the last rock was too much for them to handle. A wave of water came pouring down onto Onix who roared even louder while Brock’s eyes widened. 

“Onix!” he shouted worriedly as Onix wobbled unsteadily. 

“Sprout wrap your vines around Onix’s head and use your momentum to slam him into the ground!” Mason ordered excitedly, Sprout let out an excited “Bulba!” before complying. Onix was so weakened by the water and Leech Seed that he was easily slammed into the ground. Once the dust settled the swirls in Onix’s eyes were obvious to see. 

“We did it!” Mason cheered as he rushed over to pull Sprout in a hug while Hazel cawed happily from his shoulder. Brock sighed in disappointment as he returned Onix to his Pokeball before glancing back at Mason only to smile slightly as he watched the younger boy bounce excitedly as he hugged his Bulbasaur. 

“Well done Mason, you truly earned the Boulder Badge” He stated as he approached him only to be nearly blinded by the bright smile Mason gave him. 

“Thanks but I couldn’t have done it without my amazing Pokemon” He sad cheerfully and his Bulbasaur and Pidgey puffed their chests out proudly, he couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at this before he handed Mason the Boulder Badge. 

“None the less you truly know how to think outside the box” He said impressed and Mason just gave him another blinding smile as he accepted the Boulder Badge which he excitedly showed to his Bulbasaur and Pidgey. 

“You should go get them checked out at the Pokemon Centre, I may not have been able to do any real damage to them but they're probably both exhausted” He remarked and Mason glanced at his two Pokemon before he nodded in agreement. 

“It was nice meeting you” He said warmly and Brock just smiled as he nodded. 

“You as well” He said and Mason gave him another smile before he headed out of the gym to make his way back to the Pokemon Centre. He’s definitely a trainer to watch out for Brock mused to himself as he went to take care of his own Pokemon. 


	10. Getting Lost

Mason grinned brightly as he made his way out of Pewter City, after a quick pit stop at the Pokemon Centre he was ready to hit the road once again. He had already released all of his other Pokemon other than Magikarp and showed them his new badge and now they were all hanging off of him in what he was quickly realizing would be their usual spots. 

He readjusted Bastet in his arms so that he could look down at his Pokedex where he had a map pulled up so that he could figure out where to go next. 

“I’ve never been through Mt. Moon before, I wonder what it’s like” He hummed curiously as he realized that that was his next location, his Pokemon made equally curious sounds except for Bastet who just shrugged. She had been through it with her old trainer so she wasn’t as interested as the others were. 

It was only a short walk before they arrived at Mt. Moon and Mason had barely taken a step into the mountain before he felt something slam into his chest. He blinked in confusion as he glanced down and saw that a tiny little Zubat had flopped themself down onto Bastet who turned to look at them in confusion. 

“Hello, little one are you okay?” He asked softly as they made tiny whining sounds, he glanced around the cave and frowned when he noticed a couple of lights had been strung up, they must be confusing the poor Zubat. He briefly wondered why there were lights in the first place but eventually decided it didn’t matter as he returned his attention to the Zubat. 

“Would you like to hide in my pocket little one?” He asked softly and they nodded sadly so he readjusted his grip on Bastet so that he had a free hand which he used to scope up the little Zubat and place them gently into his hoodie pocket. They let out a happy little chirp as they curled up to get comfortable. He smiled fondly before he continued to make his way through the mountain. 

He was about halfway through the mountain when he realized that he was completely lost, he glanced between two identical-looking paths with a troubled expression on his face before he sighed and hung his head sadly. 

“I am so lost” He mumbled unhappily and his Pokemon all gave him exasperated looks.  He glanced back up as he debated whether or not he should try flipping a coin to see which path to go down when he noticed a flash of white from one of the paths. 

“Oh please let that be a person” He pleaded to himself as he jogged down the path and eventually he caught up with two people. One was a man with shoulder-length purple hair and the other was a woman with really long magenta hair, they also had a Meowth with them that was standing on their hind legs which he thought was kinda cool. 

“Excuse me can you help me?” He called out and the three of them stiffened as they turned to face him with matching Deerling in the headlights expressions. That was when he noticed that the man and woman were both wearing matching uniforms so he assumed they must be maintenance workers for the mountain or something similar. 

“I’m kinda lost, do you know which way the exit is?” He asked hopefully and the three of them shared a look before the purple-haired guy's shoulder’s untensed as he took a slight step forward. 

“Just go back down that path over there and take the third right, then you just keep going straight and you’ll be out in no time” He explained as he pointed to the other path and Mason glanced back at it before nodding and turning back around to give them a bright smile. 

“Thank you so much!” He said cheerfully before he jogged back down the path so that he could finally make his way out of this maze of a mountain. 

* * *

Jessie, James and Meowth stared after the cheerful trainer covered in Pokemon as he jogged back down the path. They were all still kinda blown away by just how bright and pure of a smile they had just been given. Clearly, this kid had no idea what their uniforms meant.

“Should we… steal his Pokemon?” Jessie questioned hesitantly as she took a slight step forward and after a brief moment, James shook his head as he turned to face his partner. 

“I… I think we should just focus on what we came here for” He said and Jessie and Meowth nodded in agreement before they all turned so that they could head further into the mountain, they had Clafairy’s to find after all.


	11. Full Team

“He said third right, right?” Mason asked for the third time and all of his Pokemon looked at him in exasperation as they nodded. He chuckled sheepishly before he turned down the third path only to trip over something, he was just barely able to stop himself from landing on his face. 

He glanced down at what he tripped over and saw a Sandshrew was curled up on themself and whining sadly. A worried expression appeared on his face as he crouched down while being mindful of Naga who was wrapped around his waist and the Zubat still in his pocket. 

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you did I?” He asked worriedly as he gently ran his hand over the Sandshrew’s back who slowly peaked at him curiously before whining and curling back up. Mason bit his lip worriedly before he pointed his Pokedex at them, hopefully, it could tell him what was wrong. 

**_Sandshrew The Mouse Pokemon - It Burrows Into The Ground To Create Its Nest. If Hard Stones Impede Its Tunneling, It Uses Its Sharp Claws To Shatter Them And Then Carries On Digging - Female - Ground - Sand Veil - Defence Curl, Scratch, Poison Sting, Rollout - This Pokemon Is Severally Dehydrated_ **

Mason frowned worriedly before he glared at the lights that were strung up, they must be drying the poor Sandshrew out. He gently placed Bastet down next to Sprout so that he could grab a bowl and bottle of water from his bag. 

“Here you go dear” He said softly as he presented the bowl to the Sandshrew, she peaked back at him before she uncurled herself and eagerly began drinking the water. 

“I should have asked those people what the lights were for” He muttered to himself as he glanced back at the lights trying to see if there was a way to turn them off but he couldn’t see anything. He could destroy them but that could lead to even more problems like a fire. He sighed in frustration only to blink in surprise when he felt something nuzzle his hand when he glanced down he saw that it was the Sandshrew who was smiling up at him happily. 

“Are you feeling better dear?” He asked softly as he gently ran his hand down her back and she let out a happy little sound as she continued to nuzzle his hand. He smiled fondly only to blink in surprise when she suddenly nuzzled up to his waist and hit one of his Pokeballs in the process. He and all of his Pokemon blinked in surprise as Sandshrew was sucked up into a Pokeball that barely rocked before it went still. 

“What?” He questioned as he picked up the Pokeball and glanced at his other Pokemon who just blinked at him baffled. He shrugged before releasing the Sandrew who smiled up at him happily. 

“Did you intend to catch yourself?” He asked and she nodded as she nuzzled his hand once again. His heart melted so he picked her up and cuddled her close to himself. 

“Aren’t you a sweetheart” He gushed cheerfully and she let out her ow cheerful noise as she nuzzled his face. He pulled her away from him so that he could give her a bright grin before he tilted his head thoughtfully. 

“You're going to need a name” He remarked and she made a confused noise as she tilted her own head to mimic him. 

“How about Sahara?” He suggested and she tilted her head to the other side before letting out a happy sound which made Mason’s grin grow tenfold. 

“Welcome to the team Sahara!” He said cheerfully and each of his Pokemon said their own little greetings. Sahara let out another happy noise as she nuzzled his neck to which he just grinned and hugged her back. It was as he did this that the little Zubat wiggled out of his pocket and whined. 

He blinked at them in confusion before he reached down and grabbed a Pokeball so that he could present it to the Zubat who nodded in approval before they slapped it with there wing and got sucked in. It shook for a second before going still, they then released themself and cuddled back up in his pocket. 

He tilted his head baffled before he placed the Pokeball back on his belt and sticking his hand into his pocket so that he could scan the Zubat, he then quickly pulled it so that he could see the information without disturbing them. 

**_Zubat The Bat Pokemon -_ ** **_It Emits Ultrasonic Waves From Its Mouth To Check Its Surroundings. Even In Tight Caves, Zubat Flies Around With Skill - Female - Poison/Flying - Inner Focus - Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish_ **

Mason hummed thoughtfully as he glanced back down at his sweater pocket. 

“What do you think of the name Echo?” He asked to which she let out a happy chirp and he grinned happily. 

“Welcome to the team Echo” He sad as he gently pet his pocket and all of his Pokemon once again announced their own greetings. 

“I suppose we should get back on the road huh?” He mused as he went to stand up only for something to dawn on him. 

“Sahara do you mind walking with Sprout? Bastet isn’t strong enough to walk long distances yet” He asked and while she pouted slightly she eventually nodded in agreement. She nuzzled his face once again before jumping out of his arms so that he could pick Bastet back up. 

“Alright let’s go!” He announced cheerfully as he stood back up and started heading back down the path. Which thankfully wasn’t very long and he finally reached the outside world once again. 

“Finally” He muttered in relief much to his Pokemon’s amusement. He gleaned down at his wrist so that he could pull the map back up when he noticed what looked like a generator hidden by some bushes. A bright grin appeared on his face as he quickly jogged up to it and glanced around it for the off switch. 

“Bulba Bulba” Sprout said as he used his vine to point at something and Mason’s grin grew as he saw it was the off switch. 

“Hopefully this will help the Pokemon in the cave” He remarked as he switched it off and then glanced at the cave to make sure the lights had turned off. 

“Shrew” Sahara said in approval and Mason tilted his head thoughtfully. 

“I should leave a note for those people explaining why I did it” He mused to himself as he placed Bastet back down so that he could grab a piece of paper and a pen. After writing a quick note explaining why he shut the generator down and leaving a suggestion to try using flashlights instead he picked Bastet back up and headed off down the path towards Cerulean. 

* * *

“So why did the lights turn off?” Jessie asked as James returned from checking on the generator. He had an amused/exasperated look on his face as he held a note out towards her. 

“That kid we ran into shut them off because he was concerned about the Pokemon and suggested we use flashlights instead” He explained and Jessie and Meowth sweatdropped. 

“At least he just turned them off instead of destroying them like that pesky scientist keeps doing” Jessie muttered and James hummed in agreement, this was at least easier to fix. 

"It's almost endearing" Meowth remarked and Jessie and James grinned a little in agreement. 


End file.
